Worldwide, more than 422 million people are affected by the various types of diabetic disorders—a drastic jump from the 108 million affected in 1980. If the upward trend of its significance isn’t halted soon, the World Health Organization (WHO) believes diabetes will become the seventh leading cause of death by 2030. Those are some scary facts. Especially when you consider an estimated 1.6 million deaths in 2015 were directly caused by diabetes and another 2.2 million were tied to high blood glucose, according to WHO. Despite being around for a long time, the exponential growth of people with the disease has the world on alert.

As we strive for balance and better health within our home and work environments, one of the simplest—and arguably biggest ways we can make a change is by adding more plants. Through the years, we’ve strayed away from our natural roots, and it’s resulted in plummeting health, skyrocketing stress levels, and a sterile environment that leaves us feeling blue and bored.

Once upon a time, homeopathy products were a niche market. But now? Its grown into a $3 billion industry, according to the Food and Drug Administration figures.

And U.S. health officials are cracking down on a growing number of unproven alternative remedies.

The FDA in December of 2017 issued a new proposal for regulating homeopathic medicines, targeting products that pose the biggest safety risks, including those marketed for children or for serious diseases.

Music is as old as time itself and as profound as we allow it to be. Those who listen can find music even in the most mundane things; the hum of the furnace against the ticking of the clock, and the rotating of the dryer! Or perhaps the gently melody in blades of grass bending to the wind, mixing with the sound of crickets nearby. Research has shown that music can drastically affect our physiology, and our neurology, right down to our perception of pain.

Music therapy as a source of healing has been around for centuries. In fact, Plato is known to have said, "Music affected the emotions and could influence the character of an individual."

When I was first introduced to Reiki, I was twenty-three and just diving into the idea of alternative therapies. I grew up on a household with a brother who was born with a brain tumor, and an aunt with Down syndrome. I was no stranger to doctors, hospitals, and medicines. I also come from a mixed house of skeptics and alternative spirituality believers. It was no odd occurrence to have a tarot reading taking place in the kitchen, while a discussion on the ramifications of global warming and the latest research was also taking place in the living room.

I have always treaded a fine line between those two worlds. As someone who feels deeply tied to my family, it was natural to hunt for new and safer ways to heal the body. Reiki ended up being that for me.